1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer device, an ultrasonic measurement device, and the like.
2. Related Art
A biological device such as a health monitor is conceivable that uses an ultrasonic sensor with a thin film piezo-vibrator to measure, for example, the diameter of a blood vessel or the blood flow and thereby obtain a blood pressure and the like. Furthermore, the biological device can also be used as a probe for acquiring information on the inside of the body, that is, for observing the fat thickness, pathological abnormality, and the like.
Biological devices may be used simultaneously by a plurality of users in close proximity, and in the case of measuring the fat thickness for example, the same probe may be used by a plurality of users in a fitness studio or the like. When, in such a situation, cases are considered in which data is managed by a central terminal or is wirelessly transmitted and received for example, each of the devices and probes in use is preferably identifiable using a unique ID.
For example, when stick-on probes are used, a system is likely to be realized in which a plurality of ultrasonic devices operate simultaneously, and it is necessary to determine from which ultrasonic probe a signal is transmitted to the main device.
Meanwhile, JP A-2011-236 discloses an ultrasonic measurement device having a region for storing a unique ID of a probe that is wirelessly connected to the device.
Furthermore, JP A-2002-172116 discloses an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic diagnostic device that have, as an ID for example, an 11-bit binary signal based on signal lines being open or grounded, and count the numbers of “0” and “1” as checksums.
Furthermore, JP A-11-70109 discloses an ultrasonic diagnostic device including a pin for detecting probe characteristics.
JP A-2011-236, JP A-2002-172116, and JP A-11-70109 are examples of related art.
As disclosed in JP A-2011-236, JP A-2002-172116, and JP A-11-70109, a method in which a unique ID is given to each probe is known. However, JP A-2011-236 does not specifically mention, to begin with, how to give a probe ID.
Furthermore, a method in which a probe includes an electronically rewritable memory (such as a RAM or EEPROM), and a probe ID is stored in the memory is also conceivable. However, providing such a memory leads to an increase in cost and a risk that the probe ID can easily be rewritten by a third party.
In the methods of JP A-2002-172116 and JP A-11-70109 for example, operation/non-operation of elements is not used when a unique ID is given to each probe, and thus a circuit needs to be adjusted individually, leading to a risk that the circuit may be modified afterwards.